Her mother's eyes
by Stranded With Plums
Summary: A child at Cackles is left without a family to call her own. Ethel Hallow/Constance Hardbroom


I do not own Worst Witch.

Her mother's eyes

She was short in stature, thin, a light and airy appearance danced about her, however she was anything but.

Easy to anger and quick to insult, she was still by far the envy of all girls at Cackle's Academy.

She could turn on the charm, sweet talk her way out of any situation that would most certainly do unspeakable damage to her reputation.

Her family's name was steeped in tradition and haled as one of the finest of the centuries, if only she could truly lay claim to the untarnished history.

Surrounded by "friends", she learned early to keep your enemies closer.

She watched with disdain as other girls mingled with those of lower class, laughing and sharing stories. She sat quietly as friendships were ignited and bonds reinforced, but never once did she find her heart strings pulled. She simply wouldn't allow it.

"My dear, why are you sitting here in the shade by yourself? Go out and share in the sun-filled day with the other girls," she smiled slightly at the soft urging in Amelia Cackle's voice-perhaps she did have a heart after all.

"Yes Miss Cackle," Ethel Hallow rolled herself onto her feet and stood up, dusting off whatever grass and dirt may have been left lingering on her skirt.

Ceasing her movements, she found herself quite caught off guard at the intense gaze being received from her headmistress.

"Something the matter Miss Cackle?"

Shaking her head lightly, she let her eyes fall before lifting her head back up and regaining her composure.

"No Miss Hallow," a smile flitted across her features, a pause followed, "I was just thinking about how much you look like your mother. You have her eyes."

"With all due respect Mam, her eyes are all I have," brushing past Amelia, Ethel caught sight of the woman who had given her those eyes and somewhere deep down inside, she wish that she could give them back.

After all, it was because of her that she couldn't call the Hallows her own family and yet, this woman didn't want her either.

She had found out by accident one evening, while searching through the attic for an old stuffed rabbit that she had had as a child. Somehow displaying it in her room, would remind her that she had survived the challenges of childhood and the fact that it was of great sentimental value, but she would never tell anyone.

It took her hours to search through boxes and trunks, but the much sought after rabbit finally appeared in one of the tattered and torn bags upon the windowsill along with an envelope of old papers.

Nosy as she was, Ethel picked the papers out of the envelope and started unfolding them one by one. The first page was really all she needed to see to get the gist of the situation, her eyes scanned the black print, signatures, and her name written at the bottom.

She knew that they were adoption papers. Her father, some unknown with a drinking problem no doubt, and her mother-

"Ethel, what are you doing up here?" Her mother stood at the top of the top of the steps, hands on her hips waiting for an answer.

"Uh, nothing. Just trying to find Brownie," she held up her prize and exhaled silently when she received her mother's nod of approval.

"Well, you've found him. Now go get washed up for dinner."

"Yes mother," she waited until she heard the creak of the door shutting before throwing the papers back into the bag and racing downstairs.

Now here she was years later and she still found herself being haunted by the what she had uncovered that day up in the attic.

"Mildred Hubble! Do try and stay out of trouble. It has been such a wonderful three weeks."

"Yes, Miss Hardbroom."

Maybe she was going about this all wrong. Mildred seemed to receive much more attention than she ever did. Maybe the solution was to act more like Mildred and she would if...if...she were Mildred, but she wasn't. Ethel was just Ethel Hallow, always would be.

"Something the matter Miss Hallow?"

"No Miss Hardbroom."

_I just wish you'd take back your eyes...._Ethel thought silently.

The End


End file.
